Godlings
by TheMuffinMan6969
Summary: Percy is the son of Athena and Poseidon, a godling. He spends his days travelling and fighting until he discovers the strange island of Delos. There, he meets and saves a young godling by the name of Artemis. Their friendship blooms quickly and soon turns into something more... [Pertemis]
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1: I Met Her

**Just a side story. I'm not gonna update this much, really only when I'm suffering from writer's block on my other story, The Dark Lord. This story isn't gonna be too complicated, just a Pertemis love story. Might have my own spin on the Titanomachy or Gigantomachy. Anyways, I'm trying to figure out what to write for the next chapter, so while I figure that out, I'll write this.**

Chapter 1: I Met Her

_Percy's P.O.V._

It was a time of war. My father, Poseidon, was battling his father, the Titan king Kronos, along with his brothers Zeus and Hades. I was wandering through the forest, doing my part in the war by eliminating powerful monsters that would aid the titans.

Okay, let's back up. My name's Perseus, the godling son of Poseidon and Athena, two of the Olympians. I was born thanks to an affair between the two, and raised by my father in secret underwater. When I turned 12 he released me into the wild, saying he could no longer care for me with the war raging on.

He told me that it was time for my trial, every god had to go through it. Of course, dad and his siblings didn't. Zeus decided that them surviving Kronos' stomach for years was good enough. Basically, I had to prove my worth to become a god, and then I would be taken to Olympus and made one.

If you ask me, I think I've done enough to gain godhood. I've sailed far and wide, travelled to almost every island in Greece, fought almost every monster there is, and yet I still hadn't been brought to Olympus. This is bullcrap. I'm getting tired. Anyways, that was four years ago and now I'm 16.

After travelling for weeks by boat from the Greek mainland, more specifically in Attica, I came across an island I was unfamiliar with, that shouldn't be here. I checked my map. Yep, this shouldn't be here. Mykonos was a few days away. So… where am I, then?

When I stepped onto the shore, I felt a presence break the mist. My eyes narrowed. This island had a godly presence to it. I should probably investigate. I walked towards the forest, intent on figuring out the secret of this island.

The island wasn't too large. Probably bigger than Mykonos, but smaller than Crete. The forest was beautiful, I saw many wild animals roaming carefree. Deer, wolves, foxes and even a bear were just some of the creatures I encountered on my walk.

Of course, it couldn't just be a normal paradise island. I just had to encounter a monster. After I'd been walking for maybe half an hour, I heard a roar coming from not too far away. Knowing it was some kind of monster, I drew my sword and sprinted in that direction, hoping that some mortal wasn't being gutted alive.

When I arrived, my jaw dropped. A teenage girl about my age was fighting a particularly large cyclops, and she was doing quite well. I stood admiring her skill as she slashed at the creature with her twin daggers, occasionally moving back and taking well-aimed shots at it with a bow.

Shaking myself out of my admirational stupor, I decided to hurry up the fight and help her. I gripped my sword and charge the beast, jumping up on it's back. The beast roared in anger, and started trying to grab me, so I repeatedly stabbed different parts of his back with my sword, Riptide.

I looked over at the girl, and she was standing still, staring up at me in shock. I grinned at her, still stabbing, but soon my smile vanished. The cyclops, panicking, started running around, and one of the courses he took was directly aimed for her. I shouted at her to move, and she turned around and ran.

While running, she was looking to make sure the cyclops wasn't headed that way too, which it wasn't, but that meant she didn't see where she was going. The girl ran right off into a ditch. I cursed, and suddenly felt pissed at the cyclops.

I held Riptide between my teeth and climbed up the cyclops, coming to a sitting position on its shoulders. I saw a fist coming up to hit me, but before it could make contact, I drove the sword right into its brain. The hand ceased movement and slumped, and quickly the cyclops' body fell to the ground and disintegrated, leaving only a basic cyclops loincloth as a trophy.

I didn't bother collecting it, since I'd come across so many already. Plus, I had more pressing matters on my mind, like the girl who may or may not be dead in a ditch because of me. I ran over and breathed a sigh of relief when I saw that she was still moving.

I slid down, careful not to hurt myself, and moved to see if she was alright. When I approached her, the girl rapidly crawled away from me, fear evident in her eyes. "Hey, hey, I'm not gonna hurt you." I said, approaching her more slowly.

Still, the girl scrambled backwards, and her outstretched leg went over a rock, making her scream out in pain. The girl clutched her ankle with tears in her eyes, squinting hard as if she was in pain. I came closer, my hands up gesturing that I wasn't a threat.

She was on the verge of tears as she looked at me, her lip quivering. I knelt down, softly grabbing her ankle. She was almost hyperventilating, and I tried calming her. As I checked her ankle for damage, I tried making conversation.

"So, what's your name?" I asked. She didn't answer at first, and I looked up at her. "I won't hurt you. I promise." I said, and she looked me in the eye. "Promise?" I nodded, holding a fist to my heart. "I promise."

She looked unsure for a second, biting her lip, then said quietly. "A-Artemis. My name's Artemis." She said nervously. I smiled. "That's a pretty name. Where are you from?" I asked casually, honestly just trying to find out what the heck she was doing out in the middle of the forest fighting a cyclops. She definitely wasn't mortal. A fellow godling, maybe?

She looked at the ground. "I don't want to say." She said, and I nodded. I didn't want to push her and lose what little trust she had in me. I ran my thumb over the swelling, and she whimpered in pain. "Looks like you fractured your ankle. I'm gonna have to bandage it up." I told her, and she nodded.

I shed my armor and pulled off my shirt, and smiled as her face turned gold with embarrassment. So she is a godling then. She's not a full goddess yet, otherwise I'd be able to detect the power.

I tore up the tunic so that it was just one big piece of cloth, and looked her in the eyes. "Now, to bandage it up, I'm going to have to touch it, okay? When I do so, you're probably gonna feel a little pain." I warned her, and she nodded.

I went to bandage it up, before she stopped me. "How badly is it going to hurt?" She asked, and wanting to calm her, I gave the same response a healer would give a child. "You're a big girl, so however bad it is, you can handle it." I told her, and she nodded, leaning back on her hands.

I grabbed a rock and removed her sandal, all the while she cringed in slight discomfort. I gently placed her heel on the rock so her leg was off the ground, then set to work on bandaging it up. My shirt was long enough to go around it a few times, and I wrapped it around her ankle and the middle of her foot.

I brushed up against the outside of her ankle, and she hissed in pain. "Hey, don't look at it. Look at the trees, or the wildlife that walks by. This island is beautiful." I told her, trying to get her to take her mind off the injury. She did so, her eyes darting to everything that wasn't her ankle.

Her eyes came to stop on something, and I looked over. A deer stood alone, staring at us from the treeline. I smiled. "She's a pretty one." I noted, and Artemis nodded in response. "She is. Probably one of the most beautiful I've ever seen." She said, and I smiled, glad she wasn't focused on the pain anymore.

Eventually, I'd run out of shirt, and tied it so it would hold until it was healed and she could take it off.

The deer ran off, and Artemis' eyes returned to the splint. Her face brightened, and she looked at me with gratitude. "Thank you! That feels so much better. Will I be able to walk?" She asked. I shook my head. "Not for a few days, but after that you can find something to use as a crutch, maybe fashion one out of sticks." I recommended.

She nodded, but then cursed under her breath. I tilted my head in confusion. "I live on the other side of the island, and now I can't get home." She said, and like the man of good will that I am, I offered. "I can take you." Her face became uneasy. "I don't know. Where do your allegiances lie on the war?" She asked, and I raised an eyebrow.

I hadn't expected her to bring up something like that. "What are yours?" I countered, and she glared. "I asked you first. Are you with the Titans or the Gods?" She pressed. I thought for a moment, but then decided to be honest. What was she going to do? Attack me? Not like she'd be able to do much if I said I was a Titan supporter. "I side with my father, Poseidon. So by proxy I'm with the Olympians." I said.

She visibly relaxed. "Good. I'm a daughter of Zeus, though my mother is a Titan. Don't worry, she's not a Kronos fan, since she's the daughter of Phoebe, one of the more peaceful Titans." Artemis explained. I nodded, and then looked up at the sky. The sun would set soon. "Shall we get going then?" I asked.

She nodded, and let me pick her up bridal style, careful not to hurt her foot. She pointed north. "Our home is that way. It's hard to miss, just a hut in a clearing big enough for three." She said, and I tilted my head like a dog. "Three?" I questioned.

"Oh yeah, I forgot to mention that. I have a younger twin brother named Apollo. He doesn't join me on my hunts, which is good. He's not the most tolerable person ever." She complained, and I smiled.

I walked off into that general direction, careful not to hit her foot on any bushes or low hanging branches. "So Artemis, tell me about yourself." I said, trying to make conversation. Artemis glared at me and crossed her arms. "I've told you enough for a stranger, now how about you? I don't even know your name yet." She said.

I smiled at her fierceness. She certainly wasn't one you wanted to mess with. When she wasn't crippled anyway.

"Well, where do I start? My name's Percy, short for Perseus. I'm a son of Poseidon and another goddess, making me a godling. I've been going through my trial for the past four years, travelling around, helping mortals and killing monsters. A simple life, but I don't mind." I said, and Artemis scoffed. "Simple, my ass."

"Anyways, Poseidon raised me for the first 12 years of my life, then kicked me out and told me it was time for my trial, and here I am now, still apparently not worthy of godhood." I complained, and Artemis laughed. "Maybe you're doing it wrong," She suggested.

I looked at her dumbfounded. "Are you suggesting that I've been wasting the last four years of my life? I resent that." I told her, making the godling laugh. "No, I mean maybe you're supposed to go to Olympus yourself. They've got better things to do then watch you all day." She said. I thought about it, and perhaps she was right. Who knows?

After another half an hour of walking and chatting, we reached a small clearing where there was a wooden cabin. It looked very cosy, that is until a guy came out pointing a bow at me. "Who are you? State your business!" He shouted, and Artemis put up her hands in a surrender motion.

"Apollo! It's me, Artemis. Don't shoot." She told him, and the guy, Apollo, lowered his bow. "Artemis? Why are being carried around by a shirtless guy?" He asked, confused out of his mind. Artemis blushed, suddenly realising she was pressed up against my abs. I'll admit, she was cute when she blushed. "This is Percy, he's a friend. I got hurt fighting a cyclops, and he patched me up." She said, pointing to the splint.

Apollo's eyes widened, and he looked towards the door. "Mom! Artemis is injured!" He yelled, and woman came sprinting out. "Sweetheart are you o- who are you?" She asked, noticing the shirtless man holding her daughter. I smiled, and Apollo walked up next to her. "This is Percy, he helped Artemis when she got hurt." He said.

The woman smiled. "Thank you, dear. I am Leto, their mother. Please, bring her inside so I can get a better look at it, it's pretty dark out." She said. It hadn't even occurred to me that the sun had gone down. I was so invested in my conversation with Artemis that I was oblivious to the outside world.

I followed Leto inside, Apollo bringing up the rear and closing the door. Leto brought me to the corner of the hut with all the bedding, and had me lay Artemis down on a bed gently. Artemis hissed as her ankle touched the ground but didn't say anything.

Leto knelt down, inspecting the splint I'd made for Artemis. "This seems pretty good. You're a healer?" She asked, and I shrugged. "I've helped a lot of mortals, a lot have been injured. I just sort of picked it up." I said humbly.

Leto nodded and stood up. "Well, then you should just rest, Artemis. We'll try to get you walking with support in a few days but it won't be healed for up to two months." She said, and Artemis groaned. "Two months? So what am I supposed to do, just lie here?" She asked.

Leto smiled. "Well, you have me, your brother and your new friend here to keep you company." Then she turned to me. "You will be staying, won't you, Percy?" She asked. I stood, silent, wondering for a moment. It would be good to have a break. "Um, yeah, sure. I need to rest my legs anyway. I've been at sea for a while." I said.

Leto clapped her hands. "Wonderful. I'll go serve up dinner. I made some rabbit stew out of the backup meat since you hadn't arrived yet with any food, Artemis." She said and rushed over to the fire on the other side of the room. Above it was a pot and chimney, and Leto grabbed four bowls and filled them all with rabbit stew. She returned and handed them to us, Artemis having to sit up and lean against the wall.

I must say, it was absolutely delicious. I didn't know anyone could make rabbit taste so good, but Leto managed to pull it off, and I meal in only a few minutes. I complimented Leto on the stew and she laughed, thanking me. "So Percy, where are you from?" She asked.

"Well, I'm the son of Poseidon and another goddess, and I've been a drifter for about four years now. When I was twelve, dad kicked me out so I could begin my trial, and I've been travelling, killing monsters and helping mortals as much as i could ever since." I briefly said, and Leto nodded, shocked at my parentage.

Artemis stopped sipping on her stew. "Wait, you never said who your mom was? Which goddess is it?" She asked, and I bit my lip. "Promise you all won't tell anyone?" I asked, and they all nodded. Apollo scoffed. "Of course. There's no one to tell for miles!" He stated.

I sighed. "Well, its Athena, Olympian goddess of wisdom." I said, making them all gasp. "But how? I thought she was a maiden goddess?" Leto said, and I nodded. "She was."

"But that means… ew, uncle and niece sex." Apollo said, making us all cringe. "Yeah, I try not to think about that part." I told them. We continued to talk for a few more hours until the moon was almost directly above us in the sky and Leto clapped her hands. "Alright, I think its time we all went to sleep. Percy, I'll get a bed set up for you." She said, walking off. Apollo groaned and slid into his bed, staring up at the ceiling.

I looked over at Artemis as she lay down in a more comfier position. "You alright?" I asked, and she nodded, blushing. Again, it was cute. "Yeah, thanks for what you did today. You didn't have to." She said, and I laughed. "Nonsense. If I didn't do that, I would've lived my life believing you were dead, and that thought would've eaten away at me. I said.

She smiled. "Well anyway, thank you Percy." She said. I smiled. "You're welcome Artemis. Sweet dreams." I said as Leto finished setting up my bed. I hopped under the covers, relishing the feeling of being in a bed again, and closed my eyes.

"Goodnight you three." Leto said, and we all replied with. "'Night mom", "Goodnight mom" and "Goodnight Leto."

Hey Percy, I think I made some good friends today. I hope this turns out well.

Sincerely, Percy.

**Okay, just a little test chapter for this story. Like I said, I won't be updating this story too much, just whenever I get writers block on my other story. Review and tell me how you liked it.**

**Word Count: 3082**


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: Friends

**Okay, so I'm writing this at the same time as the next chapter of The Dark Lord. I had quite a few good ideas for this story which I'm sure you'll like, so here we go. Thanks for the support so far, guys.**

Chapter 2: Friends

_Percy P.O.V._

I woke to the delicious smell of what I assumed to be breakfast, and I drowsily sat up in my bed. I looked around at my surroundings. Apollo was huddled under the blankets, snoring his lungs out, and I cringed at the sound.

To the left of him, however, Artemis sat up scowling at him in the corner of her eyes with her arms crossed. I rubbed the sleep out of my eyes. "Good morning." I greeted, and her eyes went to me as her face turned to one of happiness. "Morning, Percy." She said.

Apollo made a particularly loud snore. "That's doing my head in." I said, clutching my head. Artemis laughed. "You think you have it bad, I've had to deal with that for 16 years." She complained. "I pity you."

She shuffled around to get into a more comfortable position. "How's your leg?" I asked, concerned. She shrugged. "Still hurts, mom told me not to get up. Life's gonna be boring for a while.'' She said. I smiled, leaning back on my arms. "Don't worry, I'll be here if you need anything." I told her.

Artemis smiled and tilted her head. "You're gonna stay for six weeks?" She asked. I shrugged. "I'll stay as long as you need, maybe more. I like it here. This island is beautiful, the locals are nice, plus I get free food." I said, and Artemis narrowed her eyes, though she was still smiling. "Don't expect to get free food for long. I'm the breadwinner here, and with me out of order, mom's probably gonna make Apollo hunt, and you'll have to go and make sure he doesn't trip on a rock." She said.

My eyes drifted to the snoring teenager. "I have to babysit _that_?" I asked, and Artemis nodded. I heard footsteps behind me, and Leto came over holding bowls. "Good morning, Percy. It's more rabbit stew for breakfast, so we'll need you and Apollo to go out and catch dinner later. Shouldn't be too hard. Artemis usually returns in half an hour, and the forests here are plentiful." She said, and Artemis looked at me as Leto gave her breakfast like _told you so_.

Leto shook Apollo awake, and the guy sat up groggily. He stared at me, blinking with one eye at a time. "Oh, you're here. So that wasn't a dream." He said, digging into his stew. I sipped mine. "Glad to know you dream about me." I said, and Artemis choked on her stew. Apollo looked mortified and Artemis clutched her stomach in fits of laughter. "Wow. Fine then." He said, mock-glaring at me.

We ate our breakfast peacefully, chatting amongst ourselves, before finally Leto came to take our plates away. I stood up, asking if there was anything I could do to help. Leto brushed me off. "No need, I can handle this. You just save your strength for when you and Apollo go out later. You're gonna need it, dealing with him." She said, and Apollo huffed.

"Everybody's against me!" He complained, and Leto rolled her eyes. "I wonder why." Artemis smirked at her brother, poking her tongue at him mockingly. I chuckled at the sibling rivalry, stretching my arms. Apollo wolf-whistled, and I noticed Artemis was blushing heavily. I realised I was shirtless, as I'd used my shirt as a splint for Artemis ankle. I blushed too, walking outside to get some fresh air.

It was sunny outside, and I could faintly hear the waves in the distance crashing against the shore. I sat down on the front stoop, looking out at the front area of their property. It was mostly empty, with random things like jars of stuff laying out on the grass or up against the house. It sort of ended with a border, that border being the treeline that turned into the forests of Delos, and I noticed a small stream trickling past just onto their property. It no doubt led into the larger Delos river.

I felt a presence beside me, and noticed Leto standing there. "I found one of Apollo's tunics. It might be a bit small, but it should at least fit on you. Thank you for splinting Artemis' leg up, even though it destroyed your tunic." She said, handing me a white shirt for me to wear.

I smiled, graciously taking it and putting it on. It was a bit tight, but it would do. "It was my pleasure, Leto. I'm always happy to help, especially when someone is hurt." I said, standing up. Leto frowned. "I worry about her sometimes." She said, making me also frowned. "Why? She seems fine."

Leto shook her head. "She's always been a bit prideful. I fear that if she faces a monster too much for her, that pride will take control and get her and her brother killed." She said, looking towards the treeline. I put a hand on her shoulder comfortingly. "Artemis is strong. If something knocks her down, she'll only get back up with more anger and strength." I told her.

"Anger can be the downfall of many warriors." She said wisely, making me shut up for a few seconds. "I promise that I'll protect her, Leto." I said after a moment of silence, making the woman smile at me. "Thank you, Percy. But I know as well as you do that immortality is a horrible thing, and means that almost everything will happen to us at some point, which also includes her getting hurt. As much as you try, you can't keep fighting forever." The Titan said grimly as I looked to the ground.

She was right. Try as I might, I'm immortal. People are gonna get hurt. People are gonna die. You just can't live a life without these things happening, let alone an eternity.

Leto went back inside, and Apollo came out, stretching and yawning over-exaggeratedly. "You ready?" He asked, scratching his back, and my only reply was "Hmm?" as I still stared at the ground. Apollo punched me in the shoulder with a grin on his face, bringing my gaze back up to him. "To go hunting? We'll go catch something huge just to show my sis whose boss." He said proudly, and I rolled my eyes.

"Alright, whatever you say, man. Let's go." I said, nodding towards the treeline. He held up his bow. "Where's yours?" He asked, and I showed him my sword. "I was sort of just planning on stabbing it." I told him, and he scoffed. "Wait here. SIS!" He yelled, entering the house again.

I followed him in, and Artemis sat with her arms folded in the corner. "What is it that's got you so loud?" She asked, slightly mad. Apollo didn't care though, and pointed to me over his shoulder. "Percy doesn't have a bow. Can he use yours?" He asked, and my face flushed in embarrassment.

"Apollo, it's okay, really. I suck at archery anyway. I'll just use my sword." I told him, holding it up in example. The godling ignored me and continued to ask his sister. She bit her lip conflictingly for a moment, before she nodded. "Alright, just don't break it, I really like that bow." She warned, and Apollo handed me the weapon.

I could see why she liked it. The bow was finely crafted out of the local wood, the smooth texture feeling nice under my fingers. The string was tight but not too tight, easy enough to pull back but when let go would unleash a painful force with which to shoot. I gripped it in my hand as I inspected it, before looking down at Artemis. "Thank you." I said, honoured that she would allow me one of her most prized possessions. She blushed and avoided my eyes. "Have fun."

So Apollo and I set off, hoping to kill a beast worthy of our dinner. We trudged through the Delosian wilderness, definitely being way louder than hunters should. We talked for most of the time, chatting about random things like rocks and what our favourite colors were. He truly was fun to talk to.

Not long into the trip, Apollo tripped, and I began to laugh at him. The godling blushed in embarrassment, but as he looked up he went pale. I followed his gaze, and my grip on the bow tightened. A large buck stood there, staring at us silently. Apollo stayed still and nodded for me to take the shot.

Carefully, I reached for an arrow and drew it out of the quiver. I knew very well how terrible of an archer I was, and I was hesitant to even attempt shooting it. But, I knew Apollo would never let me hear the end of it if I didn't shoot. So, I pulled back the string. One of the worst decisions I've ever made.

_Snap!_

My face paled as I heard the sound, and the pressure that the string had on me was released. The buck ran, and Apollo quickly shot the animal before it could escape. I stared at the bow in my hands, now just two broken pieces of wood connected by a string. Apollo saw the mess and his smile immediately vanished.

"Oh man, you are so dead." He noted, and I gulped. I had broken Artemis' bow, and I had no doubt that she would kill me, or at least hate me. "What am I going to do?" I asked, really sad now. Apollo sighed and shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know man, pray? At least we got the deer, that might calm her a bit. Her bow didn't die in vain." He tried horribly to lighten the mood.

I looked at the dead buck lying on the ground in front of me, and took note of it's beautiful elegant antlers. They were huge, so long that it was a wonder that the animal could stand up. The bony objects stood out at a few feet long each, with sharp parts jutting out of the main trunks at random points reaching for the sky.

It was then that I got an idea. It was a pretty terrible idea, to be honest, and it probably wouldn't work. Even if it did work, Artemis would probably still be too pissed to even care, but what other choice did I have?

I unsheathed my sword and knelt down next to the buck, placing Artemis' bow on the ground next to me. "Percy, we do that back at the house. The things easier to carry if the body's carrying all the organs for us." Apollo said, not understanding what I was doing, but I shushed him.

Knowing this would severely blunten my sword, I cringed involuntarily, but I persisted. I used my blade like a knife, cutting through the skin on the deer's neck into the bone, going quite a bit deep. "Percy, what the Hades are you doing?" Apollo asked, going a little green in the face.

When I had gotten deep enough, I began to curve the cutting until my blade was horizontal and continued. Finally, the sharp weapon came to the back of the jaw and stopped. Apollo looked about ready to pass out, and even though it was dead and couldn't hear me, I looked at the buck sadly. "Sorry, Buddy."

With one great push, I cut the upper half of the deer's head clean off of the neck and jaw, spurting blood everywhere. Apollo quickly turned and spilled his lunch all over the forest floor as more gross stuff occurred like the tongue twitching. But, for your sake, I'll save you the details of that part. Just know that I cut it out so that the only parts I had were the two antlers connected by some skull bone holding the two together, carved so that it was the same width and shape as the antlers protruding from it.

Now that I was done with the carcass, Apollo could bear to look again, and he watched me curiously. "What exactly are you doing?" He asked as I began cutting off the protruding parts of the antlers. "Making an 'I'm sorry' gift for Artemis. Can you do me a favor and get that carcass off the ground. Don't want it getting tainted now that the bloodstream and inner flesh is exposed." I asked.

The god cringed, but reluctantly pulled the deer up and propped it against a tree so the exposed wounds were well off the ground. After a few more minutes of sawing, I took a moment to look at my work. I had cut off the parts that pointed out in a different direction to the largest horns, and now the two antlers were left as two large cylindrical horns that curved in an arc shape. At the very tips, a bit below them were two extra antlers sticking out on top that I left in. It was symmetrical and they didn't get in the way.

Apollo finally realized what I was doing and nodded. "Nice. She's going to like that once she's done tearing you into pieces." He joked, and I glared. My glares turned into laughs as he was almost crushed by the buck corpse falling on him from behind, before he propped it up against a tree. I looked around, puzzled, and he sighed before taking his own bow and untying the string from it.

Apollo knelt down next to me and grabbed the antlers, tying the string to one end and then stretching it to tie around the other. He finished, and we looked at our work proudly. A beautiful bow made of deer antlers, shining in the Delosian sunlight, with a second-hand but still strong string tying it together.

I looked at Apollo. "You think she'll like it?" I asked, worried. He shrugged. "Well, it's either this or a broken one, so her choice." He said. I stood grabbing the bow and slinging it over my shoulder. Apollo grabbed the broken one and since I was stronger, I carried the deer behind me with it's front legs over my shoulders.

We trekked back to the house with the deer, and after the ten minute walk, we made it back onto the property where Leto was waiting for us. "There you boys are! I was starting to get worried. It's been an hour." She said, getting off the porch and walking towards us. "We got sidetracked, Mom." Apollo said.

Suddenly, the Titaness almost gagged at the sight of the deer's head. "By the gods, what did you do?!" She asked, her voice shaky. I shrugged in an apologetic manner. "Like he said, we got sidetracked." I said.

Leto noticed the broken bow in Apollo's arms, and bit her lip. "She's not going to be very happy with that." She said, and I lowered my head in shame. "I'm sorry." I said, and she shrugged. "Don't apologize to me. Artemis is still inside. Apollo, you can start preparing it for lunch." She ordered, pointing to a log next to a stream where Apollo was supposed to clean it.

I left before he could try and get out of it, going inside to meet Artemis with both bows. You could tell she was bored out of her mind, because she was braiding her hair. I didn't take her as the type to do that sort of thing. She noticed me and blushed, quickly letting go of the strand she was playing with and resting her hands in her lap. "Percy, you're back." She noted.

I nodded, walking further into the room. "We caught a buck, and a very large one at that, but…" I said, holding out her bow so I didn't have to explicitly say it. She saw the mess in my hands and gasped. I felt so guilty as I watched her, and I noticed tears approached her eyes. Why did she cry? It seemed so out of character for someone like her to cry, yet I'd seen her almost brought to tears twice in the past 24 hours.

I handed her the bow, which now remained two pieces of wood connected by a string, and she looked down at it silently. I didn't know what to say, so I settled for. "I'm sorry. I knew fully well that I was horrible at archery. I should never have accepted to use your bow. Please, forgive me Artemis." I begged, not meeting her eyes.

She quickly sucked up the tears and placed the bow down next to her, looking at her feet sadly. "It's okay, Percy. I don't blame you." She said, still quite upset. I took that moment to show her my gift. "Look, I made something for you as an apology. Apollo helped apply the string." I said, pulling the bow off of my shoulder and handing it to her.

She held the bow in her hands, dumbstruck as she observed it in the sunlight pouring through the open window. "Percy…. It's magnificent." She said, instantly forgetting the wreck that was her old bow. "Is that… deer antler?" She asked, rubbing it over with her thumb.

I nodded. "I used the antlers of the buck we caught and carved into an arc, with the top of the skull being in the middle to hold them together. Apollo took the string off his bow and tied it onto this, since I didn't have any other string and the one on your old bow is pretty damaged." I said, and she continued to examine the weapon.

"I know it's not much, and I know you really liked your old bow, but this is my way of saying sorry. I hope you like it." I said, and she looked up at me. She put the bow down next to her and smiled. "Percy, it's perfect. Thank you." She said, launching up and wrapping me in a hug. I blushed furiously, but hugged back with a flustered smile on my face.

"Does your leg not hurt?" I asked, noticing how she had bent her ankle onto it's side to hug me, and she shook her head. "It doesn't hurt, but Mom insists I don't stand up for a few more days. It's a fractured ankle, not an amputated limb!" She ranted, breaking off the hug and still smiling at me.

I smiled back. "Do you want to try and walk?" I asked, and she nodded enthusiastically. "I've wanted nothing more all day." She said, and I stood. I held out my hand to her, and she gripped it tight. Carefully, I pulled her up onto her feet, holding her relatively close to me to support her. She blushed at our close proximity, but tried to focus on her feet.

"If I fall, you'll catch me, right?" She asked, and I nodded. "Always." Taking that as a good enough answer, she tentatively stepped away from me with her injured foot, visibly relaxing as she didn't feel too much pain. She let go of my shoulder, and took another step forward.

It was like watching a baby take her first steps. Sher moved each foot carefully and hesitantly, and soon she was on a roll. She laughed as she could now walk around again freely, her only disability being the slight stiffness in her injured foot.

She began walking over to her sandals, obviously intent on going outside, but when she took another step on her injured leg, it gave way and she fell. Surprising even myself with the speed, I caught her in my arms and stopped her from face-planting on the floor.

She panted heavily, shocked from the incident as she leaned back into my chest for support. She smiled at me, very obviously flustered. "Thanks." She said, and I grinned my usual lop-sided grin. "Hey, I said I'd catch you." I reminded her, making the godling smile.

She started moving towards the door, still in my arms, and I walked beside her with my arm around her for support. Just for support. "Let's just stick to the porch for now, okay?" I said, and she nodded. "I would just go barefoot, but my brother likely dropped a knife out there or something." She said as we exited the house.

We stood on the porch as Artemis closed her eyes, relishing in the late-morning breeze. "It feels so good to know what wind feels like again." She noted, and I watched entranced as the wind blew through her auburn hair. It looked especially beautiful today as it shined in the sun and something about the two completed braids she had just randomly in her hair just made it look oh so much better.

I stopped my admiring and went to get chairs for us, setting them against the railing looking out towards probably one of the best views I'd ever seen. A far off beach and sparkling blue ocean, a vast and lush forest that stretched on for about 4 miles, and most spectacularly, Apollo struggling to gut a half-decapitated deer.

"Gods, is that what you had to do to that poor creature to make that bow?" She asked, smirking at Apollo's expense as he worked his ass off. I smiled at her. "A small price to pay for forgiveness."

We sat there all day, admiring the beauty of Delos and talking. Soon enough, sundown came, and Leto called us inside for dinner. I looked to Artemis, and she still looked absolutely beautiful. Her greek-tanned skin looked even more exotic in the orange light, and her silver eyes contrasted well with her auburn hair which turned a dark shade of gold in the sunlight. She looked conflicted, not meeting my gaze.

"Percy… are we friends?" She asked out of the blue, surprising me. I thought for a moment, taking care to consider my words carefully. I knew deep down that there was something I wanted to say, but I held it in. She probably didn't feel the same way.

"Artemis, I have travelled all over the Greek world. I have visited many islands, many cities, I have met many gods and many mortals. I have made many friends and many enemies, I have saved a lot of lives and taken just as many. I have lived such an amazing and eventful life so far, and I have to say, you are one of the best things about it all. You're not just my friend, Artemis. You're my best friend." I told her.

There was so much more I wanted to say, but like I said, she wouldn't feel the same way, and the feelings would pass with time.

The godling smiled, and did the most amazing thing. She leaned up and kissed me on the cheek. "I feel the same way about you, Percy. Now come on, I'm hungry." She said, standing up pretty much effortlessly and waiting for me. I stood and supported her body, walking her inside for dinner.

If only she knew how I truly felt about her. Would she still feel the same way about me?

**I know, I know, I'm sorry this took so long to update. I told y'all that this would mainly be written when I have writer's block, and I've been having a lot of that recently. It's probably gonna take me a while to update The Dark Lord, so I might work on this story more in the meantime. I have quite a few good ideas in store for this story. I just started summer break like a week ago, so I don't have any school until February. Yay! Also, sorry for the gore. Tomatoes.**

**Word Count: 4000**


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3: Moving Out

**Hi, thanks for all the support I got from the last chapter. I got some good feedback, and I'm glad you guys are liking this story. Sorry for Artemis being a bit OC, but let's be honest, her falling in love with Percy is OC. I'm sorry if this story gets too deep into plot but I'll try to keep it as Pertemis as I can. Also, if you want an image of what Percy looks like, search up 'Percy Jackson Kida Atlantis', and imagine his hair being black. Credits to the artist.**

Chapter 3: Moving Out

The arrow struck the hind as it ran, slowing the animal slightly before it fell to the ground and ceased movement. Artemis smirked from next to Percy, lowering her bow and walking over to her kill. "Still got it." She remarked as she pulled the bloody arrow out of the animal's corpse.

He chuckled at her antics. This was her first hunt since the son of Poseidon got there and she no longer limped. "Well, now we know your leg's fine and you can still shoot." He told her. The godling lifted the deer over her shoulder, and he walked over. "Let me help you with that." He told her, grabbing the deer and hanging it over his own.

Artemis crossed her arms, narrowing her eyes. "You just said I'm fine now, I don't need help." She said pridefully, and Percy rolled his eyes. "What am I gonna do if I'm not your packhorse, hunt?" He said, and she sighed knowing that her friend was right.

"You wanna get one more?" He asked as they walked off back to the house, and Artemis shook her head. "No. I do want to, but when it comes to animals, I only kill what I eat." She said, and he nodded.

Artemis' foot had healed quickly over the past two weeks. Usually it would take about six or so but since she's a godling her natural healing speed is increased when compared to the average mortal. Percy would know, he's an expert on getting hurt.

But anyway, now she'd pretty much healed completely as far as he could tell, which means she can get back to hunting. _Thank the gods for that. I'm tired of hunting everyday, I don't know how she manages it_. The godling thought to himself.

The two of them made it back to the house in no time, since they hadn't gone that far to begin with before finding that hind. Percy chucked the deer down on the log while Artemis unsheathed her knife and began to prepare it. While she did that he went back to the house to sit on the porch by Apollo, who was cheerfully humming as he looked out over the property.

Perseus sat there with nothing to do for 15 minutes while Artemis gutted the deer, until finally she finished up and gave the meat to Leto. While their mother began to cook lunch (finally), Artemis came and sat down beside them. Apollo immediately began to tease her about something he wasn't paying attention to, and their constant bickering became great white noise for the godling as he thought about random stuff.

Not too long after, Leto came out and announced that their food was ready, and to come inside and eat it. They did so hurriedly, thanks to their rumbling stomachs, and all sat around the table with four plates full of venison and cups full of water from the stream.

The lunch was delicious to Percy. Just some venison with a few berries and edible plant life from the forest thrown in there to act as a salad. _Perhaps we should start a farm_. He thought absentmindedly. Anyway, the food was good. Leto was a great chef, she never burnt or undercooked anything, and she always knew just the right way to serve it.

Once Apollo had finished, as he was the last one, Leto told them all to stay behind for a moment. They all sat inside, waiting for her to speak, and the titaness sighed deeply. "Look… I know this is going to sound like a terrible idea, but…" She trailed off, biting her lip in contemplation.

"What is it?" Artemis asked, and the three all began to get worried. This obviously wouldn't be something they liked the idea of, but they had yet to hear her speak it. She sighed again, clearly not liking her own idea. "I think… that it is best for you all to… move on." She said, placing her hands on the table.

The godlings were all stunned into silence as they sat there, dumbfounded. "W-what? What do you mean 'move on'?" Apollo asked, a frown on his face. Percy knew that they all knew what she meant by that, but none of them wanted it to be true. Even he'd grown comfortable here. It had gone from just a place to rest his legs to his first real home after Atlantis.

Leto looked at him. "You all know what I mean. You're godlings, and there comes a time in every godling's life when they must venture out, commit a great feat worthy of a god and then climb Mount Olympus to receive your domains and ascend to godhood. Percy was on his journey before he arrived, and I think it's best if you all go together. Less of a chance for you getting hurt." She said, and Apollo and Artemis were on the verge of breaking down.

"B-but we don't wanna go! We like it here with you, mom." Artemis said, distraught. Leto nodded. "I know, sweet child, but you are nearing your fifteenth summer. You will be adults soon, and I think it is time for you to fly the nest. Percy's boat is still docked here, and I'm sure you can take it up north to Macedonia, where Mount Olympus is just southwest." She advised.

Percy gulped. "But what of this great feat? Would we have to do one each?" He asked. Leto nodded. "Yes, each of you would have to do your own individual thing. Save a city, kill a great monster, win a war, something like that." She said, and they nodded. The four of them sat in silence for a long while, staring at their plates, before Artemis broke the silence. "When must we leave?" She asked.

Leto looked at the sun. It was past noon, but still high in the sky. "I think we shall spend one more night together, and you can sail off in the morning." She once again advised, leaving them all in pained silence.

Apollo was the first one to move, excusing himself from the table and leaving the hut, presumably to go find somewhere to think. Leto nodded at the two remaining godlings, before leaving herself. Artemis and Percy were silent for a while, not looking at each other. Then Artemis stood, and made her way out onto the balcony. She looked over and saw Apollo sitting on a rock by the stream, staring into the water.

Artemis was thinking of the journey to come, and if she was honest with herself, she was afraid. They were godlings, mortal. They had not been awarded their immortality, and so could be killed by a mere bandit's arrow. Of course, they were much more resistant to normal attacks, so it'd have to be a well-placed arrow to the naked head, but still. You never know what could happen out there in the wild. She had grown up on Delos, completely safe aside from the stray monster that happened upon the island. The forests of Euboea, the plains around Thebes, and the peninsulas of Macedon were all ripe with beasts just waiting to tear them apart.

"Hey," She heard Percy say from behind her. He was shirtless again, wearing only his normal blue cloth around his waist to cover his privates and a golden necklace his father had given him on his 13th birthday, the day he became a man. "Sorry, Apollo's shirt smelled _really_ bad. How're you holding up?" He asked.

She had to avert her eyes from his chest, which took just over two seconds. Percy took that as her being surprised by the sudden exposure, and didn't think anything of it. "I'm fine," She said. "Just worried, I guess. I mean, it's a long way to Mount Olympus, and we have to do something great along the way. What if one of us gets hurt?" She admitted, and he came up to stand beside her.

"It'll take maybe a month to get there, plus however long it takes to do our stuff. If it helps, I survived four months out there, everywhere from Lacedaemon to Knossos, fighting all sorts of shit. I'm sure three of us can hold our own." He consoled. Artemis agreed. "Yeah, I hope so." She said.

The two of them stood there for a while, staring at the trees swaying in the wind and the distant waves crashing onto the shore. They weren't hungry enough for dinner, and so it was under the light of Selene that they remained, sitting in chairs and just looking.

The moon was near the top of the sky when Percy decided that it was best for them to return inside, to which a shivering Artemis agreed. Seeing she was still worried, Percy put an arm around her comfortingly as they entered the house, while Artemis leaned into his side. Apollo and Leto were already asleep, the former on his side facing the wall. Percy walked her to her bed, and then quickly got into his own.

Keeping his voice down as Artemis finished getting in, he whispered loud enough for her to hear. "Goodnight." Before putting his head down on the pillow. A few seconds later there was a soft "'night." A few minutes later Percy drifted off into the land of Morpheus.

The next morning was troubling for the twin archers. It was the last time they'd be seeing their mother and their home for a long time. Percy understood. He'd felt all this when he was made to leave Atlantis. His mother, Amphitrite, had been devastated when Poseidon told her that Percy must go. His youngest sister Rhode was beside herself with grief, having to be pulled off of Percy by Triton when he left. His older brother and their sister Kymopoleia had been oddly emotional, sparing him a sad glance and their own gestures of affection: a hug from Triton and a nod from Kym.

At midday, Leto stood up from the table. "It's time." She said, and they all nodded. Percy, Artemis, and Apollo all equipped their weapons as the four of them left the house. It was a 10 minute walk to Percy's boat docked on the west of the island, a small craft capable of carrying a few people. They loaded it with various foods and water containers, before the three of them turned to greet Leto goodbye.

The titaness smiled. "Goodbye, my children." She said simply, engulfing the twins in a hug. They hugged back, doing their best not to shed tears in the moment. Leto was failing miserably, sobbing as she kissed the tops of their heads and rubbed their backs softly. Percy crossed his arms and looked on sadly, feeling sympathy for the family.

The three of them disbanded, and Leto came over to Percy. She dried her tears quickly, before pulling him in for a hug as well. Percy was surprised at first, but regained his composure and hugged back. "Take care of my babies for me, Percy. Make sure they get to Olympus." She said, and Percy swallowed what little saliva he had in his mouth. "I will, Leto. Thank you… for letting me stay here." He promised, then thanked her.

Leto smiled, nodding. "Of course. It gave me so much joy to see my children gain a friend to equal the two of them out. Please never leave them, Percy. I fear without you there to mediate their opposing personalities, they would grow apart." She told him. Percy nodded, choking on his words slightly. "I- I promise I'll always be there for them." He vowed, and she smiled.

Leto pulled him in for one last hug, and the titaness whispered in his ear. "By the way, Percy. I approve." She said cheekily, and it took a few moments for Percy to understand, before his tanned face turned a light shade of pink. Leto released him from the hug, and the twin archers gave their mother one last goodbye and hug.

As the twins boarded the boat, they gave Percy a nod to let him know they were ready. The young Atlantean put his hands on the bow of the ship and pushed, trying to move it off the sand into the water. Unfortunately, since it was a small bireme, that required a lot of strength. Thankfully, due to his heritage he was able to get it back in the water and hop aboard.

Percy didn't have oarsmen running his ship, instead utilizing his abilities as a sea deity to move and steer the ship with the current. The three of them stared longingly at the island of Delos as it slowly shrunk, and if they looked hard enough, they could faintly see Leto still standing there the whole time, right up until the island faded on the horizon.

They were all silent. Apollo was sitting with his legs hanging over the side, staring wistfully at the point of the sky where the sun was slowly going down. Artemis had a one knee up with her arm resting on it as she sat leaning against the mast. Percy checked the position of the sun, then looked forward. "We'll head northwest, past Andros and Tinos, and dock at Euboea to restock and hopefully do something worthy for godhood. After that, we'll sail north either to Macedon or Thessaly, then make our way to Olympus from there." He informed them, and Artemis nodded.

"How long will it take?" She asked, and he shrugged. Percy sat down and leaned against the mast, on the other side of it from Artemis. "It'll take days to reach our destination, but I have a feeling we'll be getting distracted many times." He said. Artemis smiled. "Knowing my brother, probably." She said, and Apollo turned around and gave a quick "I heard that!"

The two of them laughed, and Percy looked up towards the sky. "There are many clouds." He noted, and Artemis raised an eyebrow. "Is that a bad thing?" She asked, concerned at his attention towards such a minor thing. "No clear skies, good strong wind, maybe it is a bad thing." He mumbled, and Artemis swallowed worriedly.

Oh how right he was.

As the sun went down, the waves started to get a bit choppy, and Apollo was forced to come sit by them. Percy tried calming them down, but the waves didn't respond, only getting more aggressive and rogue. The skies got dark soon enough, and the winds were high enough to throw them every which way.

They were in the middle of a brutal storm, and Percy's power was barely keeping their ship intact. At one point, Apollo was nearly thrown into the ocean by a rogue wave, but Artemis barely managed to grab both him and the mast to survive.

Percy's bearings were going crazy, and it was as if the magnetic poles had ceased to exist. He had no idea where they were anymore, nor where this storm was taking them. It was only when Percy looked up and the sky darkened even more that he knew it was all over.

"WAVE! BRACE FOR IMPACT!" He shouted, grabbing the twins and pulling them over to the railing on the upper level, where hopefully they'd be pushed against it and remain on the ship.

It was futile however, as the three held on for dear life. The wave smashed into the side of the ship and turned it upside down, sending it barreling into a cluster of rocks and totally destroying it.

Percy was nearly knocked out by the collision, but managed to regain his senses thanks to the natural regeneration water bestowed upon him. He looked around frantically, seeing only smashed piece of wood and ship parts floating around under the water.

Then he saw further down below him, two people slowly sinking into the dark deeps. Using his incredible marine skills, Percy swam down as fast as he could and grabbed the two, thrusting to the surface once he had done so.

The three surfaced, and Percy had to practically throw the two over his shoulders as he paddled. In the distance he could see the faint outline of land, but thanks to his confusion he couldn't tell if it was an island or the mainland. In the moment he didn't care, his mind was solely focused on getting him and his friends to safety.

He paddled as hard as he could, constantly being swept back out by the waves. It took nearly all his strength, and for once Percy knee what fading felt like. He was barely conscious when the three of them beached, landing face down on the wet sand.

Fearing for his friends lives, he used the last of his strength to desperately land a punch to both of their stomachs, and was rewarded when both of them suddenly sat up and started coughing out water.

Percy collapsed in exhaustion on the sand, managing to roll so he was face up at the stormy skies above Greece. Before he faded out of consciousness, he heard the twins worriedly hurry to his side.

"Percy! Percy! C'mon man, wake up." Apollo said desperately, a whine in his voice. A small hand took his own, and as Apollo performed CPR on him, Percy got to listen to Artemis' worried pleas. "Please Percy, don't die. Don't die on me now. I don't know what I'd do without you. Please stay with me, Percy. Please." She begged, clutching his hand in both of hers.

Sadly, Percy could not fulfill his wish. He could not stay with her. But as he closed his eyes he was thinking of her, of how much he wanted to stay with her. What he wouldn't give to stay with Artemis and be with her forever. Sadly, things took a different turn that night, and Percy blacked out on an unfamiliar land hundreds of miles away from his destination.

**Okay, sorry for not updating this for a while. I've learned never to make promises with stories, but I'll try to work on this one more in my spare time. With quarantine I've got plenty of writing time available to me. Did you enjoy it? Please leave suggestions for what I should do with this story, and also what should their 'great feats' be. Apollo's is definitely gonna be killing Python, and I'm thinking for Percy he can fight a god or other powerful being. What do I do for Artemis though?**

**Word Count: 3197**


End file.
